Denmark’s Karup Air Station will House Aerial Refuelling and Transport Capacity.

Denmark December 2025: On the recommendation of the Chief of Defence, the Defence Conciliation Group has been informed that the future air refuelling and transport capacity will be located at Karup Air Station. At the same time, a Forward Operating Base will be established at the Air Station, which other air refuelling and transport aircraft in NATO’s multinational cooperation on air refuelling can use.

“Air refuelling is an important capability that strengthens the air defence of the Kingdom and increases the combat power of the Danish defence. Air refuelling aircraft are a prerequisite for long-term operations with combat aircraft for both Denmark and our NATO allies. They also enable combat aircraft to operate more effectively in areas where there is a long distance between air bases, such as in the Arctic and the North Atlantic“, says Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen.

In practice, this means that the air station in Karup will partly house the two new aerial refuelling and transport aircraft that the defence conciliation group decided to acquire earlier this year, and that other aerial refuelling and transport aircraft in NATO’s multinational aerial refuelling cooperation can temporarily operate from the air station. The Danish Forward Operating Base will supplement the cooperation’s existing bases in Eindhoven and Cologne.

In June 2025, Denmark joined NATO’s multinational air refuelling cooperation – known as the Multinational Multi Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF). As part of Denmark’s entry, a decision was made to acquire two air refuelling and transport aircraft for the MMF, which would operate from Denmark.

“It significantly strengthens the Armed Forces that we have air refuelling and transport capabilities on Danish soil. Air Station Karup has the infrastructure to house the capacity, while there are already supporting units at the air station that can support the capacity. With the initiative, we are strengthening the combat power of the Armed Forces quickly and effectively“, says Chief of Air Command Jan Dam.

Air Station Karup is already a logistical hub and starting point for highly strategic transport in the Armed Forces. In addition, Karup is considered to have the right institutional conditions to be able to house the air refuelling and transport capacity.

FACTS :

• NATO’s Multinational Multi Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MFF) is a multinational collaboration where several European NATO countries pool their needs for aerial refuelling and strategic air transport by jointly operating an aerial refuelling and transport capability from European air bases.

• The cooperation currently consists of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.  

• The two aerial refuelling and transport aircraft are Airbus A330-200 Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft and are being procured through NATO’s procurement agency, NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA).

• Karup Air Station today houses the Danish Armed Forces’ helicopters, airspace surveillance, the Flight School and a number of support functions.

Team Maverick.